Premier Manager (GBA) (Premier Manager (GBA))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Premier Manager (GBA)
Date:	26/05/09 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Depth

Disadvantages: Text based play may not appeal to all

"Premier Manager 2003-04" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2003 by Zoo Digital Publishing. It is a football management game based on a long standing series of the same name. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ages.

The objective of Premier Manager is to maintain a financially viable football club. The player is presented a series of text based menu prompts which arrange trades, schedule coaching and arrange merchandising deals for the team's revenue. It is a very in depth game and features over 300 European clubs which are all open for trade and contract sale. I personally find this style of game to be highly repetitive. The primary focus of the game is seen through a series of text based menus which can become a visual bore. It is likely that only those who are truly engaged with the sport of football would find any enjoyment with this. Otherwise, those who cannot tell their "Butlers" from their "Beckhams" would not be able to fully immerse themselves within the game.

The graphics are presented from a side perspective and feature primarily text on a blue background. Each of the words are large fonted, easy to read and offer all available information on screen such as a player's scoring ratio or price of the contract. All of the available information is required in making informed decisions on whether or not to acquire the player for a team's roster and requires the user to make an informed decision regarding his potential worth to the club. To a casual fan such as myself, the game is visually a wall of text which I could not fully decipher. The soundtrack is comparably simple with a series of menu "beeps" following the player throughout.

Overall, Premier Manager is a game which I would be hesitant about recommending to prospective buyers. Its text based play is likely something which would only engage the most enthralled football fanatic but would not likely reach those outside of this market.

Summary: Thumbs in the middle